Republican Tricia Cotham holds narrow lead in NC House race with nearly all votes counted
With nearly all votes counted, Republican state Rep. Tricia Cotham narrowly leads her Democratic challenger in her first reelection bid since her controversial party change.
Cotham, who gave Republicans a veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature and helped them pass new restrictions on abortion, faces Democrat Nicole Sidman. They’re running in a redrawn North Carolina House District 105, which includes parts of Matthews, Mint Hill and south Charlotte.
With 17 of 18 precincts reporting, Cotham leads Sidman by a margin of 50.21% to 49.79%. Absentee by mail ballots and in-person early vote have been reported.
Cotham’s flip angered many in the Democratic Party, who’ve poured money and institutional support into Sidman’s campaign. The first-time candidate raised and spent more than $1 million from July 1 through mid-October, according to her campaign finance report.
Sidman arrived about 8:30 p.m. to applause and cheers at her watch party at Legion Brewing in South Park. Around 100 attendees have gathered to watch the outcome of the race Tuesday night. Sidman told The Charlotte Observer she’s feeling optimistic going into tonight, but it’s still a waiting game. She spent all day canvassing and making calls to voters, after spending this past weekend doing the same.
Nicole Sidman, center, chats with supporters at the election watch party at Legion Brewing South Park in CharlotteTuesday night, Nov. 5, 2024
Cotham has kept a lower profile during the campaign, repeatedly not responding to requests for comments throughout the election cycle from the Observer and other media outlets. She did not respond to questions about her campaign’s election night plans.
Experts said before Election Day that women and unaffiliated voters would be key in determining the result.
It’s one of a slate of competitive North Carolina General Assembly races that were on the ballot Tuesday in the Charlotte region.
Here are the latest results in other Charlotte-area state House and Senate races. All results are unofficial until certified by election officials.
NC House District 98
With nine of 11 precincts reporting, Democrat Beth Gardner Helfrich leads Republican Melinda Bales by a margin of 52.2% to 47.8%.
Helfrich, a first-time candidate, is squaring off with Bales, the Republican former mayor of Huntersville, for the open seat in North Carolina House District 98, which covers parts of northern Mecklenburg County including Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson.
Helfrich said previously the biggest issues she’s heard about from constituents during the campaign are traffic, health care, costs, schools and reproductive rights. Bales has listed her top priorities as workforce and economic development, education and infrastructure.
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The district is historically close: outgoing Republican Rep. John Bradford won by just over 2,000 votes in 2020 and less than 1,000 votes in 2022.
Helfrich out-fundraised and outspent Bales in the final months of the campaign. The Democrat raised $1.1 million from July 1 through mid-October and spent $1.05 million to Bales’ $522,957.13 in fundraising and $574,608.18 in spending in the same period.
NC Senate District 42
A pair of political newcomers are facing off in North Carolina Senate District 42, which includes parts of Mint Hill, Matthews and south Charlotte. With 41 of 44 precincts reporting, Woodson Bradley leads Stacie McGinn by a margin of 50.06% to 49.94%.
McGinn, the Republican nominee, and Bradley, the Democrat, both raised and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the final quarter of the campaign.
McGinn previously served as general counsel for the Republican Party of Mecklenburg County and focused her platform on crime, the economy and education. Bradley, a Realtor, said previously rising cost of living is the biggest issue facing her constituents.
The race made headlines in October when McGinn accused Bradley of scamming consumers as part of an illegal pyramid scheme shut down by the Federal Trade Commission more than 10 years ago. Bradley was involved with Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, the Observer reported previously, but her campaign said McGinn’s accusations were false because she was not a party in the case by the FTC against FHTM and was just a contractor.
NC Senate District 37
With 34 of 35 precincts reporting, incumbent state Sen. Vickie Sawyer leads Kate Compton Barr by a margin of 65% to 35%.
Sawyer, a Republican, is seeking a fourth term representing North Carolina Senate District 37, which includes Iredell County and northern Mecklenburg County.
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Her Democratic challenger, Barr, has drawn national attention with her campaign message that she “can’t win” in the district due to gerrymandering.
NC House District 104
With 26 of 27 precincts reporting, state Rep. Brandon Lofton leads Krista Bokhari by a margin of 55.92% to 44.08%.
The incumbent Democrat Lofton is running in North Carolina House District 104, which includes the Quail Hollow, Beverly Woods, Ole Providence, Woodbridge, Myers Park, Cotswold and Oakhurst neighborhoods.
Bokhari has never run for elected office before but is the wife of Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari. Lofton is seeking a fourth term in Raleigh.
NC House District 73
With all 20 precincts reporting, Republican challenger Jonathan Almond leads incumbent Democratic state Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams by a margin of 53.35% to 46.65%.
North Carolina House District 73 includes Concord and parts of northeastern Cabarrus County.
Staton-Williams, a nurse by trade, was first elected to the legislature in 2022. Her first race was one of the closest in the state that election cycle. Her district has since been redrawn and now typically votes 53% Republican and 44.6% Democratic, according to Dave’s Redistricting.
Almond works for a restaurant group. His campaign priorities include limiting government, the Second Amendment, lowering taxes and border security, according to his website.
Charlotte Observer reporter Nora O’Neill contributed past reporting to this story.
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